Welcome to the Jungle
DM * Tim Players * Ketaal, hobgoblin artificer * Hektor Strangeway, human paladin * Cade Brushgather, halfling bard * Reva Arya d'Cannith, human artificer * Beckett d'Medani, half-elf bard NPCs of Note: * Serenity and her crew: ** Old Ren, Captain (ex-Cyrian) ** Washburne, Pilot (ex-Lyrandar) ** Sue, Enforcer (ex-Tharashk, ex-Golden Lions) ** Leigh, Mechanic/Elemental Whisperer ** Bishop Lex, Cook/Chaplain ** Petra, Medic (ex-Riedran, brother of Rowan) ** Rowan, redacted (sister of Petra) * Badger (crime lord in Stormreach) * Malketh (member of Blood Council) * Ralzina Voraal (member of Blood Council) * Tana (Cannith Wizard of the Twelve in Stormreach) * The Betrayer (mysterious enemy inside the Riedran ship) * Drag (everyone's beloved friendly neighbored Daask gangster) Introduction Sunlight shines through the window of Boroman Ir’Dayne’s office. The lawn outside is covered with a sudden snow, but that has not dampened the spirits of a trio of songbirds who are just thrilled at being alive as they single a merry tune. Ir’Dayne hums along in good spirits as he works at his desk, his butler Woodhouse by his side. Ketaal and Dala are nearby, the former making adjustments to the container for the planar artifact, the latter observing and making notes in a journal. Ketaal seems unhappy about the arrangement, but glances at ir’Dayne and soldiers on, making the best of it. --- It takes all day to make the necessary repairs, but finally Ketaal stands up and stretches, and Dala sighs, closing her book. Ketaal nods his head to ir’Dayne. "The artifact is as stable as we can make it. But these adjustments will not hold unless a more permanent solution can be found to compensate for… for the age of it." Ketaal coughs into his hand and looks away, flicking his ears testily. Ir’Dayne also stands, easily and unassisted. He appears to be brimming with vitality. He strides over and claps Ketaal heartily on the arm. “No worries, no worries at all my boy! Splendid job you’ve done. Haven’t felt better in years. I’m even half tempted to visit the Droamm embassy and find an ogre to tussle with!” Woodhouse’s eyes grow wide in panic, and ir’Dayne laughs heartily. “Alright, alright, we’ll save the wrestling for a special occasion, perhaps.” He leans over to his desk and picks up a folder, and offers it to Ketaal. “Ketaal, I want you to take this back to Wencove at the Sharn office. I would like for you to assist that Washburne fellow with investigating the disappearance of his crew in Xen’Drik.” Ketaal hesitates in taking the folder, and instead frowns at it. "You are going to entrust Washburne with the safety of Wayfinders, ir'Dayne? I am not sure if that is wise. And I am likely the last person that you should entrust with this task. Better Relic, or Amranth, than myself." Ir’Dayne nods. “Of course. The boy did us a good turn, and it’s only fair to return the favor. I’ve looked into his claims, and everything he says checks out. Still, there might be something amiss. I want someone who knows his history. If you don’t want to lead it…I can offer it to Cade… If I can find him. He keeps disappearing, though. Busy performing for the masses, no doubt.” Khaavolaar. I will take it, ban," Ketaal says, reluctantly. --- Thunder booms beneath the Airship Serenity as she races through the starry night sky on her way toward Xen’Drik. The ship shudders with fearsome turbulence as pilot Washburne attempts to keep the ship out of reach of the lightning punctuated storm clouds below. Now and then, an errant bolt streaks upward as if in defiance of nature. One arcs toward the ship, but veers toward one of several huge metal rods poking out of hull. The metal glows white-hot, before slowly fading. --- Several hours pass, and eventually the thunder subsides a bit, and the wind lessens. The ship is safe. For now. Washburne consults his astrolabe and map, trying to see whether the airship is still on course. The Wayfinders begin to emerge from the interior of the ship deck now that the immediate danger has lapsed. Expedition Summary Act 1 - Voyage The Storm The adventure begins with the Wayfinders below deck on the airship Serenity, riding out a fierce storm while the vessel is halfway from Sharn to Stormreach. The group asks the pilot Washburne about the storm, and reveals that the storm seems to be following them. While the spellcasters discuss this possibility, Hektor takes a stroll around the boat and spies a massive elemental in the distance. It appears to be affecting the storm that is chasing the ship. Serenity plunges into the stormclouds and manages to evade the elemental for a while, but it pounces as soon as they emerge on the other side of the storm. Cade stuns the creature with Hypnotic Pattern, buying the crew a minute to strategize. Then the huge storm elemental is upon them. The Elemental rushes toward the ship, hurling lightning bolts at it, which are absorbed into the lightning capacitor built into the ship. When the capacitor is at maximum and about to explode, Reva fires it into the elemental, causing it to break into two smaller elementals. These elementals storm the ship, and a melee breaks out. During the fighting, Cade gets tossed overboard, and Reva saves him by casting featherfall (although he did have a token, it was discovered). While the elementals are being defeated, Washburne suppresses the elemental (also named Serenity), and the ship plunges toward the ground in order to get beneath Cade. He freefalls gently onto the ship with a few deft acrobatic maneuvers. Once the danger has passed, the crew finally receives their briefing from Washburne: As soon as they land in Stormreach, they are to locate Sue and bring him back to Serenity. Then, they will devise a plan that allow them to rescue Captain Ren and Rowan from the Riedrans. There is a small hitch, however. The crew has some enemies, namely one Gangster named badger. As there is no honor among thieves, it seems that there was a deal that went sour between the two. Badger had been used as middle-man between the crew and the Riedrans when they were initially trying to acquire Riedran crysteel. The group suspected that he was going to turn on them, so they backed out, leaving him furious. He is probably looking to exact revenge. The Wayfinders visit with each member of Serenity, fact checking their stories and verifying that everyone is telling the truth. The Arrival The airship arrives at Falconer’s Spire in Stormreach. For those who have not yet visited Stormreach, their first impression is one of alarm: it seems as though the city has been destroyed! A vast city lies ruined before them. Crumbling walls and squat, shattered towers. But as they draw closer, they can see that the city is much larger than they thought, and still very, very far away. Amidst the ruins, tiny buildings become discernable, small structures clustered around the hulking foundations. The ruins must be work of those Giants they have heard of, who built civilizations long before humans and the other lesser came to Xen’drik. There is an astonishing assortment of architectural styles and materials. Some of the inhabitants have constructed homes using stone quarried from the giant ruins, others using driftwood from hulls of broken ships. From what they can see, Stormreach is spread over a wide area, flowing down along a river valley. Barges and passenger skiffs drift between the harbor and the depths of the city. Vegetation-covered cliffs surround the valley with a curtain of lush green. Serenity begins to descend towards three large buildings, a giant spire with airships docked against it, a gigantic tent, and an opulent Palace, Lorsmarch – the center of the Storm Lords’ power. Below is a district with broken arches and fallen columns covered with awnings, surrounded by market stalls. Those familiar with Stormreach will remember this is the Marketplace, with twisting, improvised streets jammed with people making their way through the city on business. This is the heart of the city. Serenity descends through a few final wisps of clouds as she approaches Falconers Spire. Washburne appears to be having a conversation with the elemental, where he is asking it to politely go back in the khybershard, to little success. Finally, exasperated, he yells "LEIGH!" and there is a muffled reply below deck. Just before the airship meets the docking tower, the elemental ring around the ship retracts as Serenity retreats into the khybershard. There are a few workers and one stormguard on the tower, They grab the lines that you toss to them and secure Serenity to the tower. The surly looking stormguard comes on board, looking down his nose at your crew. He confers with Washburne and you see a coin pouch change hands. The guard leaves the ship, whistling Hektor's shanty. Act 2 - Search The Disembark The Wayfinders stage a huge argument with Washburne, One by one they make their way down the docking tower and through the city to Traveler’s Blessing. Ketaal moves quickly, vaulting a small handcart and deftly weaving through the crowd to catch up to Cade, whom he follows carefully to avoid knocking any passersby over. Once they enter Dannel’s Pride however, Cade is mobbed by a group of urchins who are peppering him with questions “Hey you look that halfling on the Penny Dreadfuls! Where’d you get that sword? Is it magic? Have you ever seen a dragon? Did you kill it? Where are you from? Can you cast spells?” Ketaal decides to stick around and watch what happens, but is forced to climb up to an overhanging porch to keep from being trampled by children. As soon as he it out of sight of the tower, Hektor resumes walking normally, although a few passing sailors notice that he is drenched in something very pleasant smelling. Hektor kindly asks them for directions to the Traveler’s Blessing and is the first to arrive there in Dannel’s Pride. Reva arrives a few minutes after, having been accosted by merchants in the marketplace trying to sell her apples for her horse. Beckett hangs back, scanning those hanging around Falconer’s Spire.She lightly scans the minds of those nearby, and finds a spy for Badger, one of the leaders in the many local criminal organizations. She notifies Cade, and Cade suggests that the spy go to "take a day off." The crowd of children following Cade get excited when it looks like he is casting a spell. But when there is no apparent effect, they are dismayed and start to wander off. Meanwhile, the others arrive at the Inn. The Inn The inside of the inn is mostly empty, being sometime before lunch. There is a pair of well dressed dwarves eating ribs and drinking wine, as well as a group of orcs and half-orcs enjoying what appears to be a family brunch. The room has a blue-tinted skylight that softly lights the room. There many traveling themed decorations, ranging from roaming minstrels to luxury water vessels to daring airships exploring the vast skies. A mature elf is wearing an apron and attending to the inn's customers. Reva does not see anyone matching Sue's description, but she does see Hektor in the corner table that she is seeking. After a moment, Hektor gets the attention of the Elf. He approaches the table and bows gracefully, offering two menus. "Welcome to the Travelers Blessing! How may I assist you?" The Wayfinders surreptitiously inquire about the whereabouts of Sue, but the innkeeper does not know who or where he is. They order food, and settle in to wait. Sue never shows up. The group decides to split: Hektor and Ketaal wait at the inn just in case Sue arrives, while Beckett, Cade, and Reva go venturing off to find informants and visit the Tharashk enclave (they know that Sue is a marked Half-Orc). They learn that Sue is an excoriate, and his former house is not interested in cooperating, but the Wayfinders flex their political credentials and eventually learn Sue's address. Meanwhile, Hektor and Ketaal have intervened to protect the innkeeper from being extorted, but are beaten unconscious for their altruism. Reva's horse alerts her that something is going down, and Reva, Cade, and Beckett race back to the Traveler's Blessing, Juking and dodging pedestrians as they run. As they near the inn, they nearly collide with a patrol of storm guards, who yell at them to "watch where yer goin'!" Just before they reach the inn, a merchant runs screaming from the building. They burst inside, and find Ketaal, bleeding heavily and surrounded by three foes. He is standing over the bleeding unconscious body of Hektor. The thugs are defeated, and Hektor and Ketaal are saved, just in time for the Stormreach guards to show up. They thank the adventurers for capturing these criminals, then promptly leave out the back door. The innkeeper brings a round of drinks for all, and the Wayfinders being to catch their breath. Their short rest is soon interrupted, as they hear a scream. They investigate, and discover that the guards have killed the prisoners, taken their valuables, and dumped their bodies in the cavernous Giant sewers. Welcome to Stormreach! The Apartment The Wayfinders set out in search of Sue's apartment. Their senses are assaulted on all sides by the overwhelming presence of this part of the city. Sight: Bright colors, pennants, entertainers dressed like colorblind magpies, swooping arches, green leaves, and colorful lanterns. Smell: The tang of spices on the wind, the hint of incense and oils from the temples. Sound: Temple adepts calling passersby to worship, hawkers drawing attention to their sweetmeats and savories, bards plucking at their instruments, actors calling out the merits of their plays, and, booming over all of it, the performance in the Livewood Theater. It's not very hard to find the Pink Conch. There are numerous signs all over of questionably shaped pink seashells pointing towards the brothel. Cade follows the instructions he received from Tharashk and the group finds themselves climbing rickety stairs on the outside of an apartment building, confronted by a locked door. Hektor gives it a good kick, but to no Avail. Ketaal grumbles and obliterates the door with cause damage. There is a roar and screaming of wood being torn as the door explodes inward and scatters the interior hallway. Dust fills the corridor and slowly settles, revealing four doors, two on each side of the hallway. Beckett blinks a few times as the door she was studying is suddenly turned into a cloud of splinters. As soon as the dust settles, though, she spies the mechanism for an old trap that seems to have not been reset. Beckett and Reva are not terribly excited about this destruction, but the Wayfinders now have entrance until the hallway leading to Sue's apartment. Several of the buildings occupants poke their heads out to see what new danger has arrived. The Wayfinders are just beginning to question them when a silver haired half-elf clad in a bath robe (Sin'ja) storms forward into the hallway and walks up to Ketaal. She pokes him in the chest with her finger. "Look, mister! Some of us have to work to earn a living! You bounty hunters think you can kick in any door you damn well please. Well I got news for you, buster! You're too late. Someone else already nabbed Sue. So why don't you turn around, and march your bounty-hunter self back down to the floor and apologize to the landlord whose door you just turned into toothpicks." The Wayfinders apologize for the intrusion, and Ketaal asks the half elf who her mother is. Before she can respond however, her (naked) elven boyfriend storms out in the hall. He points out Sue's apartment, then drags the half-elf roughly back to their apartment. Ketaal tells him to let go of her, and the elf (Edgar) slams the door and locks it. It appears clear to the Wayfinders that this Edgar is an abusive lowlife, so Ketaal breaks down the door and, after a brief scuffle, punches Edgar out the window. He lands dead in the street, where Hektor happens to be waiting. Having learned proper corpse etiquette from the Stormreach guard, Heketor drags the body over to a nearby sewer grate and kicks it inside. While Ketaal and Reva are persuading Sin'ja that a better life awaits her in Khorvaire, Beckett searches Sue's apartment. She finds signs of a violent struggle and a clue: a golden dagger. They Wayfinders investigate, starting with the Pink Conch. They talk their way into the good graces of the Madam there, and learn that Sue was a frequent and much beloved customer in the brothel. He was formerly a member of a criminal gang known as the Golden Lions, but had a falling out at some point. The gang retaliated by having him arrested and sentenced to fight in the Red Ring, Stormreach's arena. Act 3 - Blood Sport The Arena While Cade and Beckett are investigating, Reva takes Ketaal and Hektor with her to do some shopping (because my players loved splitting the party seven ways till Sunday). On her way through the Market, Reva keeps an eye out for Cannith licensed arms dealers. She finds two that have the wares that she wants. Cannith's Canny Cabinet and Merrix's Maces and More. They are next door to each other. After investigating, Reva learns that Merrix's is a legitimate Cannith shop, and she purchases upgrades there. But Cannith's is not selling goods that are up to standard with House Cannith. Later, Reva will return and bully the fradulent shopkeeper to stop using her house's name. After this, the Wayfinders reunite, and investigate the Arena. It seems like everyone is packing up shop and heading to the Arena. Once they get there, they see that there is already a line forming, and that it's moving so slowly that they might not get in. They decide to pull a five-person party split (see what I mean?) and try different approaches to getting in: * Hektor seizes the chaos and walks straight in the front door during the melee up front. However, doing so causes even more of the people in line to join the fight, and the front entrance is shut down. * Beckett attempts to schmooze her way through the VIP entrance, but fails to persuade the guard with her 1 platinum piece bribe. Just as she’s about to get dragged off, however. She shows the guard the golden dagger, and he immediately admits her to the arena. The guard escorts her to the her group; she is now seated with the golden lions, and they rejoice, because “the party don’t start till she walk in.” * Cade and Ketaal find an old acquaintance, Drag, who offers to get them inside for “small favors.” Cade agrees, but Ketaal refuses. Ketaal tries to cash in a Daask token, and Drag perceives that Cade is trying to persuade him to give them a favor for free. These approaches manage to anger Drag, and he stalks off leaving Cade and Ketaal with the impression they should watch their backs. They proceed to have the world’s best shouting match at each other. Ketaal Storms off, achieving a server first five party split. * Reva heads to the Citadel of Twelve, and meets up with an old friend and city’s strongest wizard, Toven. She acquires a large stack of VIP invitations from him, some of them really dusty and old. Eventually, the Wayfinders all make it inside, with Hektor sitting with the groundlings and the others sitting in the VIP section. They observe several arena fights, before finally seeing what they came for: Sue. He has a brutal 1v1 against a manticore, and barely survives the encounter with some subtle healing from Cade. After being victorious, he is led back to his cell in the dungeons beneath the Arena. Hektor heads to the concessions and meets a Captain Dread, a dwarven pirate. Cade sneaks into the dungeon beneath the Arena posing as a health inspector for lord Amanatu. He finds Sue, but also finds Sue's handler, a member of the Blood Council named Malketh. Sue's handler is suspicious of Cade, and begins to question him. Before Malketh has him arrested, Cade makes a hasty exit. The Fight The Wayfinders head back to Serenity. On the way, they are ambushed by a Troll, but Cade acts quickly and suggests that the troll go take a bath in the harbor. Once the adventurers reach the ship, they discover that Badger finally got word from his spy (the one who Cade suggested take a day off). He has seized the ship, claiming it is going towards repaying a debt that the crew owes him for backing out on a previous deal. After discussing terms, the Wayfinders agree to enter the Arena and fight in tomorrows match with Sue. The odds are heavily against Sue, because he is fighting a mysterious undefeated champion. If they win, Badger makes a lot of money, and the Wayfinders finally get Sue back. They rest and make preparations. They have learned through Beckett's gossip-gathering that the mysterious champion is a powerful shape-changer of some sort. They report to the Arena, and the match begins. The challenger appears as none other than Boroman ir'Dayne... if Boroman had glowing red eyes. Ketaal and Reva have prepared moonfire, and this causes the imposter halfling to reveal its true form: an Oni. The combat is brutal, and many times some of the Wayfinders are knocked unconscious, nearing death. But through solid teamwork they manage to bring down the Oni to earn their victory. During the combat, the Wayfinders had disarmed the Oni and picked up its sword. Once the match was over, the Oni's handler, Ralzina Voraal of the Wyvern’s Tail appears and retrieves the mysterious, magical sword. Soon after, Badger shows up, quite pleased with himself. He brings healers from Jorasco as part of their agreement, and everyone is healed and receives a healing potion. The Wayfinders are released, and they return to the Ship. Act 4 - Rescue The Voyage Once onboard the Serenity, the Wayfinders are ready to set sail, but Sue has some unfortunate news. He knows the location of the Riedran compound where the Captain and Rowan are being kept, but it is extremely perilous to take an airship over the jungles of Xen'drik, especially since the skies have been plagued by giant flying monstrosities. Some say Dragons, but others aren't so sure. Regardless, the crew resolves to sail up the Hydra river and strike through the Jungle to enter the compound. They make their way to the dock, and Hektor tracks down the Pirate Captain he had met before. A deal is struck, and the ship, Buttercup, sets sail. They make it to the river uneventfully and begin to sail up it. Soon, they spot a shadowy figure soaring high up in the clouds. It lets out a terrifying screech before disappearing from view, and the Wayfinders identify it as a Roc: not a dragon, but still an incredibly dangerous foe. Soon, they encounter a large ship sailing downriver towards them. It is a large Riedran cargo ship, sitting low in the water. Reva scouts the ship with her familiar, and they see that the ship does have prisoners, one which vaguely sounds like one they are trying to rescue. So, after passing the ship, the Wayfinder's ship comes about and sails after the Riedrans. They have ballistas, but due to a clever illusion cast by Beckett, creating the illusion of a Roc behind Buttercup. The Boarding Due to the diversion, Buttercup is able to reach the Riedran ship without taking ballista fire. The crew throws grappling hooks and boards the ship, and swashbuckling commences. The Wayfinders board the ship right behind the crew. Becket, Cade, and Reva fight/talk their way down to Rowan, while Hektor and Ketaal stay on deck and fight the Riedrans. Hektor uses his Divine Sense, and detects a fiendish presence in the captain of the ship, who has a "large eye" inside him. Hektor does a swashbuckler surprise and vault-kicks the Captain, and the fight commences. Ketaal locks down the inspired's psychic abilities while Hektors smites his face off, and the inspired knight is quickly dispatched. And just in time, because the conflict between the two boats has caught the attention of the Roc, and it is now descending upon its prey with a booming roar. Hektor and Ketaal vacate the deck, running below in search of their companions. Meanwhile, Rowan leads the other wayfinders into bowels of the ship, the bilge. They find the captain chained to the hull, along with dozens of other (mostly drow) prisoners. Before they can free the Captain, however, a figure rises from the murky water (The Betrayer). She looks like a kalashtar, but her eyes have two pupils each. She challenges them in a very eerily double speaking voice, <"WhKo aILre yLou? WhKIy aLLre yKIoLLu dEoATwn hFLerEeSH? YoGu aNreAWn't suOppNosed to be YOUR hBerONeS." Her head jerks upwards, as if listening to an unhear voice. After a pause, her head orients itself towards you again, and a snarl creeps across her lips. <"I wMill nUot peSTrmit yBEou to reWHscOue aLEny of thAesGAe criAminINals! She lunges to attack, and the wayfinders are hard pressed to defend themselves. Fortunately, Beckett is able to Blind her, while Reva Shield'''s herself from the Betrayer's psionic onslaught. Cade whittles her down with a crossbow bolt combined with '''Heat Metal, with a little help from the Captain once Beckett and Reva manage to free him. While this combat rages, Sue is holding the stairs against members of the riedran crew who have been pursuing them. The Betrayer collapses into the murky water, which hisses when it comes into contact with the heated metal. Ketaal and Hektor arrive and help Sue finish off the remaining combatants. The group convenes, and decides to blow a hole in the side of the ship rather than go back upstairs and face the fury of the Roc. Reva uses her artifice to use the rigging from the ships collapsed mast to fashion a makeshift bridge, and the wayfinders escape to Buttercup, which then sails away into the sunset. The wayfinders sail back to Stormreach. The prisoners are freed, Captain Dread is paid, and the crew of the Serenity is reunited. Mission complete! Epilogue Meanwhile, back in Xen’Drik A sleek, Riedran creeps lazily along the coast of Xen'Drik. The sky is clear, salt is in the air, and the wind is gentle but constant: a serene day. A day that is suddenly shattered when a wild figure bursts from the foliage and runs down into the surf. It ninja-leaps high into the air, vaulting right onto the deck where it lands with a THUD. The Riedrans cry out in alarm in their foreign tongue as the Betrayer straightens from her landing and surveys those aboard the ship. There is a thing like large metal spike stuck into the back of her head that appears to be a fatal wound. Yet, despite blood slowly trickling down her neck, she seems unaffected, her double-irised eyes dance over the crew. A man and woman in Riedran finery approach her, and she kneels. “Chosen, I have failed…there was an attack, and Rowan-“ She cuts off with an urp as the man grabs her by the throat. He seethes quietly with anger,* “/You forget your place, mongrel! You have the audacity to address me, while showing up empty handed?” The woman calls out. “/Peace, Rhuunaktavi! All is not lost./” She moves over and extends a sapphire-colored, gloved hand toward the Betrayer, and helps her up. She inspects the metal spike jutting from the back of the Betrayer’s skull. Rhuunaktavi speaks up. “/Xushila, we’re back where we started! And one of my brothers now lies at the bottom of a river, slain by some cursed Khorvarian beastman!/” Xushila nods. “/Yes, it is a setback. But we have learned much./” She strokes the Betrayers head, and gently rests a finger on the spike. She delves into mind into the betrayer, searching her memories. “/Oh, this won’t do. This won’t do at all./” =THE END = Transcript https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ar4dGgTTRzbJgpQE4QluYzo1_GVang Category:Expedition